Jax State News

Angle Hall

Jacksonville State University Receives $2.4 Million HRSA Grant to Build Trauma-Informed Rural Mental Health Workforce

Jacksonville State University’s Department of Social Work has received a $2.4 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to launch a new Rural Trauma-Informed Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program.

 
A Cappella Choir Wins Fourth Place at First International Competition

The Jacksonville State University A Cappella Choir recently competed in its first European event, the prestigious CantaRode International Choral Festival in The Netherlands. The 40-member choir had an impressive fourth-place finish, just one point shy of third. "I was elated and relieved at the same time," said Eliezer Yanson, Director of the A Capella Choir and Director of Choral Activities. "I am so thankful for our strong finish."
 
Jax State Alumna Ciara Smith Appointed as Anniston’s First African American and Youngest Mayor

Ciara Smith is still adjusting to her new title—Mayor of Anniston. "If I'm being honest," she said, "I don't feel the full magnitude of it yet." On May 6, Smith made history as the city's first African American mayor, only the second woman to hold the office, and, at 26, its youngest ever. A proud Jax State alumna, she earned her Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Emergency Management in December 2023.
 
‘I’ll never take things for granted’

Recent Jax State graduate reflects on how a childhood medical emergency shaped his life
 
Longleaf Studios at Jax State Wins Two Southeast Emmys for Documentary Films

Longleaf Studios at Jacksonville State University brought home two Southeast Emmy Awards on Saturday night, continuing a remarkable streak of national recognition for its documentary work.
 
Emergency Management Professor Receives Prestigious Award

Dr. Mark Landahl, Associate Professor of Emergency Management at Jacksonville State University, was recently named the 2025 recipient of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) award in Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
 
Jacksonville State Updates Master’s Program to Reflect Expanding Landscape of the Sports Industry

Jacksonville State University has updated the name and scope of its graduate program in sport management to better reflect the modern realities of the field. Previously known as the Master of Science in Sport Management, the program is now the Master of Science in Sports Industry—a name that captures the broader, evolving nature of careers in sports today.
 
Jax State Named One of the Top Colleges Chosen by Alabama High School Graduates

Jacksonville State University continues to solidify its role as one of the state’s leading institutions for college-bound students, ranking fourth in the number of Alabama high school graduates enrolled for Fall 2024. The data, published by AL.com and sourced from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE), places Jax State just behind the state’s largest universities—Alabama, Auburn, and UAB—despite having a significantly smaller student body.
 
Jax State’s Dr. Benjamin Gross Receives $60,000 Competitive NEH Grant, Largest in School History

Dr. Benjamin Gross was has been awarded a $60,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)—the largest NEH award in Jacksonville State University's history.
 
Jax State Hosting Annual Deaf and Hard of Hearing College Prep Summer Camp

For more than 20 years, Jax State, working in partnership with the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services (ADRS), has hosted a week-long summer camp for high school juniors and seniors with some degree of hearing loss.
 
Office of Sponsored Programs Hosts Funding and Grant Proposal Training

The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) recently sponsored its first intensive weeklong training event at Merrill Hall.
 
Jax State Lowers Dual Enrollment Tuition

Jacksonville State University is opening doors for high school students like never before — and making sure their path to college starts with both value and support. Thanks to a reduced tuition rate that was approved by the Board of Trustees, all in-state students and out-of-state online students participating in Jax State’s Dual Enrollment program beginning in Fall 2025 will now pay just $33 per credit hour, or $99 for a standard 3-hour course.
 
‘Just like Lynne did’

Nursing student Gabi Diamond wins Lynne Cobb Parker Spirit of Excellence Award.
 
Public Invited to Free Screening of Jax State Documentary McClellan, A Life Saved on June 6

Jacksonville State University’s Longleaf Studios invites the community to a free public screening of its newest documentary, McClellan, A Life Saved, on Friday, June 6, at the Anniston Museum of Natural History Auditorium. The evening begins with a reception at 5 p.m., followed by the screening at 6:30 p.m. and a panel discussion at 7:30 p.m. featuring individuals involved in the film. Admission is free and open to all.
 
Public Relations Student Chapter Wins Multiple Honors at Best of the Best Student Awards

The Jax State chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), the student chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), brought home three prestigious honors from the Alabama PRSA 2025 Best of the Best Student Awards.